Numbers of specimens collected by N.J. Kluge

Each number of a winged mayfly specimen reared from larva, consists of:

1) Roman number enclosed in a square frame (in hand-written label) or in square brackets (on printed label or printed text);

2) Arabic number in a ring frame (in hand-written label) or in parentheses (in printed label or printed text);

3) sometimes also Latin or Russian letter(s) behind the parentheses or behind the Arabic number within the parentheses.

Numbers of such kind can be repeated in labels from different expeditions, so a number is unique only if it is accompanied with a year number; the year number can be given either just behind the specimen number, or in other place of the same label. For example:

[VIII](8)2018

or:

[VIII](8) Panama, La Esperanza, bass. r. Chiriqui, quebrada Barrigon,
22.I.2018, N.Kluge

Each number belongs to a tube containing a reared specimen with its exuviae, or to this tube and slide(s) containing parts of this specimen. 

Sometimes a tube contains several specimens with their exuviae. For example, the tube with the number given above, initially contained a female imago of Guajirolus ektrapeloglossa and a female imago of Americabaetis pleturus, both with their larval and subimaginal exuviae. Now these two specimens are separated and placed in two different tubes with numbers [VIII](8)A and [VIII](8)B.

Normally, Arabic numbers in parentheses are given only to winged specimens (imagines or subimagines) reared from larvae; in specimens collected since 2006, imagines reared from subimagines have only Latin letters instead of these numbers. Fore example, male imago of Thraulodes spengleri reared from subimago collected at light, has the number

[IX](E)2018

or complete label:

[IX](E) Panama, La Esperanza, bass. r. Chiriqui, quebrada Comaron, 22.I.2018 N.Kluge.

Microscopic slides and ???tables for scanning electron microscope have just the same numbers as the specimens from which they are made.

Origin of the numbers

The Roman number in square brackets (or in a square frame) is a series number, and the Arabic number in parentheses (or in a ring frame) is a number on the cover of a tube temporarily used during rearing.

Tubes temporarily used for rearing

After a subimago emerges from larva, its larval exuviae are taken from the water and placed in such tube with alcohol; the living subimago is moved into a container for rearing, which is supplied with the same Arabic number in a ring frame, as the number on the tube cover.

Container with living subimago

After the subimago moults to imago, the imago and both its exuviae (larval and subimaginal ones) are placed in a permanent tube with alcohol.

Permanent tube with alcohol

After this, the tubes with numerated covers are used for the next series of reared specimens, which are supplied with the next series Roman number in square brackets (or square frame).

Usually, reared specimens are placed in the permanent tubes once a day; because of this, when rearing is intensive, the series numbers are changed every day.

Sometimes two, three, or even four larval exuviae from different cages are placed in one tube temporarily used during rearing, being separated by cotton; in suc a case, in the specimen number, the tube number is accompanied with a capital letter enclose in the same parentheses as the Arabic tube number: 

[XXI](4A), [XXI](4B), etc.

If several subimagines emerged at the same time in one and the same cage, such reared specimens with all their exuviae are supplied with one and the same number. Later they can be sorted, being supplied with numbers with additional capital letters placed behind the parentheses (see above):

[XXI](4B)A, [XXI](4B)B, etc.

arbitrary signs